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### Viewing cable 06DAMASCUS427, SHEIKH CONFIRMS SARG INVOLVEMENT IN ESCALATING

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Reference ID | Created | Released | Classification | Origin
--- | --- | --- | --- | ---
06DAMASCUS427 | 2006-02-06 16:04 | 2010-12-27 21:09 | CONFIDENTIAL | Embassy Damascus

`

    VZCZCXYZ0000
    OO RUEHWEB

    DE RUEHDM #0427/01 0371605
    ZNY CCCCC ZZH
    O 061605Z FEB 06
    FM AMEMBASSY DAMASCUS
    TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 6893
    INFO RUEHXK/ARAB ISRAELI COLLECTIVE
    RUEHGB/AMEMBASSY BAGHDAD 0616
    RUEAIIA/CIA WASHDC
    RHEHNSC/NSC WASHDC

` `

    C O N F I D E N T I A L DAMASCUS 000427

    SIPDIS

    SIPDIS

    PARIS FOR ZEYA; LONDON FOR TSOU

    E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/12/2015
    TAGS: PGOV PREL SY
    SUBJECT: SHEIKH CONFIRMS SARG INVOLVEMENT IN ESCALATING
    SITUATION IN DAYS PRIOR TO RIOTING

    Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Stephen A. Seche, per 1.4 b,d.

    ¶1. (C) Summary: An influential Sunni sheikh provided
    details February 6 that seem to confirm SARG involvement in
    escalating the situation that led to the violent rioting in
    Damascus two days earlier, including communications between
    the PM's office and the Grand Mufti. He also noted that SARG
    authorities now seem intent on identifying a few scapegoats
    to be blamed for the incidents. The Danish Ambassador
    confirmed to us separately that the Minster of the Awqaaf had
    inflamed the situation the day before the rioting, with his
    remarks at Friday prayers in a mosque. End Summary.

    ¶2. (C) , XXXXXXXXXXXX, head of the Abu Noor Islamic
    Institute and one of the most influential Sunni religious
    figures in Damascus, provided PolChief February 6 with his
    assessment of SARG involvement in the run-up to the violent
    February 4 demonstrations (and its reaction in their
    aftermath). He noted that PM Naji al-Otri several days
    before the demonstrations instructed the Grand Mufti Sheikh
    Hassoun to issue a strongly worded directive to the imams
    delivering Friday sermons in the mosques of Damascus, without
    setting any ceilings on the type of language to be used.
    Hasson complied with the order. (Note: Several Muslim
    contacts have confirmed that sermons based on these
    instructions were delivered, criticizing the publishing of
    the caricatures of the Prophet Mohammed, and condemning the
    actions of the Danish, Norwegian, and French governments. An
    Egyptian diplomat reported that the sermon he heard was
    critical but not inciteful.)

    ¶3. (C) PM Otri also instructed Hassoun and Minister of the
    Awqaf Ayoubi that if diplomatic representatives from the
    Danish and Norwegian Embassies attempted to deliver apologies
    to them and to seek their assistance in defusing the
    situation, they were to take a hard line and insist that the
    only way forward was for the PM's of the two countries to
    issue official apologies.

    ¶4. (C) The banners put up in Rawda Square were obviously put
    up with SARG permission. When XXXXXXXXXXXX had attempted to put
    up banners in that area on a previous occasion, to announce
    some Muslim-Christian dialogue effort, they were removed
    immediately and he was told it was a "security area" and he
    needed permission from the governorate of Damascus to put up
    such banners because of all the diplomatic missions and
    protective security forces in the area.

    ¶5. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX noted that one of the key organizers of the
    march was Ammar Sahloul, a wealthy businessman (money trader)
    with close ties both to the regime and to the Grand Mufti.
    XXXXXXXXXXXX suspects him of being an agent for the SARG. He said
    that Sahloul had been one of the people involved in sending
    out text messages a few days before the demonstrations,
    inviting people to come.

    ¶6. (C) After the Danish Embassy was attacked (along with the
    Swedish and Chilean missions housed in the same building) and
    the Norwegian Embassy was torched, Syrian security officers
    acted much more resolutely to prevent damage at the French
    Embassy.  XXXXXXXXXXXX's friend Ayoubi, the Minister of the
    Awqaaf, was on the scene trying to calm the demonstrators and
    get them to disperse. Ayoubi told XXXXXXXXXXXX that the senior
    Syrian security officer then informed him "That's it. Tell
    them to disperse or we will use live ammunition" to stop the
    rioting and to prevent them from storming the Embassy.

    ¶7. (C) XXXXXXXXXXXX assessed that the SARG allowed the rioting to
    continue for an extended period and then, when it felt that
    "the message had been delivered," it reacted with serious
    threats of force to stop it. He described the message to the
    U.S. and the broader international community as follows:
    "This is what you will have if we allow true democracy and
    allow Islamists to rule." To the Islamic street all over the
    region, the message was that the SARG is protecting the
    dignity of Islam, and that the SARG is allowing Muslims
    freedom on the streets of Damascus they are not allowed on
    the streets of Cairo, Amman, or Tunis.

    ¶8. (C) After the rioting, XXXXXXXXXXXX said he was visited by
    representatives of several SARG security agencies, including
    Political Security and Syrian Military Intelligence. He was
    summoned by director of the General Intelligence Directorate
    Ali Mamluk. The tone of all the questioning indicates the
    SARG is now energetically looking for scapegoats to blame for
    the rioting, said , XXXXXXXXXXXX. He said he surprised Mamluk by
    acknowledging that a number of students from his institute
    had participated in the early stages of the demonstrations
    but had withdrawn before the violence started at the Danish
    Embassy.

    ¶9. (C) The Danish Ambassador told Emboffs February 6 that he
    had met with the Minister of the Awqaaf on February 2 (and
    separately with the Grand Mufti) to explain the Danish
    position and ask for help in cooling tempers. He noted that
    the while the Mufti issued a helpful statement, the ministers
    reported comments on Friday in a mosque in the upscale Malki
    neighborhood only served to inflame the situation. His
    repeated efforts to with the MFA the days before the rioting
    to get beefed up security for the Embassy proved fruitless,
    he noted.
    SECHE

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